Life Reproduces

On to reproduction! Don't worry; we won't get too cringeworthy on you. Reproduction is important in biology because, well, it’s the key to the success of any species. Right? Take a deep breath, because we're going to say this once and then never mention it again: Where would you be if your parents hadn't done some propagating nine months before you were born? Ew.

Ask most people to define success, and you are likely to hear some recurring themes: fame, fortune, making a difference, retiring by age 35 to a beachside paradise with an unending supply of delicious tropical fruits…you get the picture. But, from a purely biological standpoint, the only thing you really need to do is procreate.

Reproduction is essential for the perpetuation of life, and it is one of the traits that all living organisms under the sun share. Living organisms pass their genetic material from generation to generation, and the genetic material we are talking about here is deoxyribonucleic acid, mercifully called DNA for short. DNA resides in the nucleus of the cell and contains the genetic blueprint that controls all of a cell’s activities.